A Pair of Queens
by Crazy Packers Fan
Summary: Aizen has acquired enough power to easily destroy Karakura Town to make the Oken, but a preemptive strike is made by the Spirit King to fight Aizen before he can. Or at least that's what Urahara wants everyone to think, as he reveals a surprise...
1. Nothing Can Be Explained

A Pair of Queens

(A/N: This is loosely based after Ichigo and pals return from fighting the Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. It's NOT canon by any means, as there are things here and there I changed. But please enjoy, it'll make certain fans really happy.)

Chapter 1

Nothing Can Be Explained

It was not long after Ichigo and the others had returned seemingly victoriously from Hueco Mundo with Orihime. It was a successful mission; they went in to save Orihime and they had done so. Many of the Arrancar had been killed in the process, or at least that was what Ichigo's group had assumed when they left.

However, the group of Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Chad, Uryu and Orihime was not satisfied. Something seemed off about it all; as difficult as the battles had been, escaping Hueco Mundo had been too easy. It was almost as if they had missed something along the way, but they could not figure out what. So as they sat around a table at the Urahara shop, all of them looked quite disturbed.

"Want some tea?" Ururu asked the group.

"I guess I'll take some," Rukia answered.

"Me too," Renji chimed in.

"Ha! Only figures the moocher would want something off us," Jinta grumbled.

"Hey, you shut up!" Renji yelled. "We've been doing a lot of work while you guys have just been sitting around here!"

"Excuse me, but that would just make up for all the times when you sat around here doing nothing!" Jinta shouted back.

While Renji and Jinta got into each others' faces, Ururu served the tea to the rest of the group.

"Hey, where's Mr. Hat and Clogs?" Ichigo asked. "This is his store, and yet I haven't seen him all day."

"The last time I saw him, he and Yoruichi were headed toward his bedroom," Tessai said. "They're probably-"

Just before Tessai could finish his statement, Urahara walked into the room with cat-form Yoruichi on his shoulder.

"Well, isn't this a fine-looking group today!" Urahara exclaimed. "Nice to see so many smiling faces!"

Everyone grimaced at Urahara, who was clearly the only one in the room smiling.

"So where have you been?" Uryu asked.

"Oh, just taking a cat-nap," Urahara replied with a smile. Yoruichi immediately scratched him across the face.

"Well, that explains a lot," Renji said. "It's no wonder they kicked you out of the Soul Society. You and Yoruichi must have always been-"

"Now, now, let's not talk about that," Urahara stated, waving his hand. "You are all obviously here for a reason, let's hear it."

Everyone grew silent for a minute, with Rukia and Orihime picking up their tea and sipping. Finally, Ichigo spoke up.

"It's Aizen," he stated. "Something's not right. We escaped Hueco Mundo with nary a scratch, and almost all of the Espada dead. It just seemed too easy."

"We struggled so much at first, that it doesn't make sense that it became so easy at the end," Uryu added.

Urahara sat down with the others, and Yoruichi jumped onto the table.

"Well, it seems like you're no longer as naïve as you used to be," Urahara said.

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked.

"In the past, you'd think the battle was over, but now you're smart enough to realize that the battle has just begun," Urahara explained.

"But we can't figure out what's wrong," Uryu stated, with Chad nodding his head.

"Lucky for you, I've been monitoring the situation myself the whole time," Urahara responded. "In fact, I've had the ability to step in at any time and help you guys out if necessary, but I decided not to."

"You moron!" Ichigo yelled at Urahara. "Rukia nearly was killed, Orihime was captured, and you just sat by and let it all happen!"

"Hey, it all worked out in the end, didn't it?" Urahara replied. "Now I've had my suspicions too about what Aizen's up to, so I've got some researchers back in the Soul Society keeping an eye on him."

"How is that even possible?" Uryu questioned. "I thought there would be no way we could find out anything."

Urahara burst into an all-out smile.

"It's my newest invention, spirit cameras!" Urahara exclaimed. "When you guys snuck into Hueco Mundo, I made sure to fix invisible cameras to your spirit energy! So wherever you went, the cameras went with you, and now they flow wherever spirit energy goes! Naturally, since Aizen has the most spiritual pressure, that's where the cameras have gone, so we've been able to keep an eye on his every movement!"

"Impossible!" Rukia claimed.

"Just wait till you see the results," Urahara stated.

A few minutes later, there was knocking at the door.

"Come in…" Urahara said cheerfully.

Soi Fon entered the room. There was a desperate yet angry look on her face.

"Sir, from the research and development center of the Soul Society, we have grave news," Soi Fon stated.

"And that is…?" Urahara asked.

"According to their best guesses, it would appear that Aizen has finally acquired enough power from the Hogyoku to destroy Karakura Town in a matter of days," Soi Fon explained.

Everyone looked around at each other in confusion, before Uryu spoke up.

"I thought the Hogyoku was only useful for turning a Hollow into an Arrancar," Uryu stated. "How could that be used to destroy Karakura Town?"

"The head of the research department says that with all the power of the Hogyoku, Aizen can create an Arrancar with such spiritual pressure which can destroy Karakura Town," Soi Fon continued.

"I don't believe you," Uryu replied. "Who's more powerful than Aizen himself? No Arrancar could be more powerful than him. If he couldn't destroy Karakura Town himself, or with all the power of all those Arrancar, surely he couldn't with whatever Arrancar he's planning on creating."

"Believe what you want," Soi Fon responded with a stern look on her face. "The research and development institute insists that we evacuate Karakura Town immediately lest we be added to the thousands of souls who will be destroyed when Aizen makes his attack."

Yoruichi licked her paws while the rest sat around in silence. Urahara simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, isn't that a great way to start the day?" he said in his usual nonchalant fashion. "Let's have lunch!"

* * *

A few hours later, after the group had eaten lunch, Yoruichi returned to her human form, and the entire group sat down to talk about the situation.

"Let's go over everything," Renji stated. "Aizen wants to destroy Karakura Town – why?"

"So he can create the Oken, the key to the dimension of the Spirit King," Yoruichi explained. "He wants to go to the kingdom of the Spirit King and kill him, and thus become the King of the Soul Society."

"The Oken he would be creating would be a fake – yet still functional," Urahara added. "There is a real Oken, yet the only one who knows of its location is Head Captain Yamamoto."

Rukia looked thoughtful. "So what are our choices in this situation?" she asks. "If Aizen is to destroy Karakura Town soon, we can either sit here and allow ourselves to be killed, or escape."

"Or we can fight," Chad stated.

"Don't you people realize the seriousness of this situation?" Soi Fon asked. "I've told you that the research and development institute thinks that with this Hogyoku's fully found power, he can create an Arrancar with enough power to destroy this whole town! A bunch of Soul Reapers fighting against Aizen and such a powerful Arrancar stand no chance, much less a bunch of misfits such as yourselves."

Uryu and Chad took offense at Soi Fon's comment, but said nothing. Ichigo then spoke up.

"I don't care what it takes, I'm not going to allow my town to be destroyed," he said. "Bring on Aizen! We went in there and wiped out most of the Arrancar, we can kill whoever he sends at us!"

"Be careful what you wish for," Yoruichi warned. "It seems to me Aizen purposely allowed you guys to win all those battles."

"What?!" Ichigo shouted.

"You heard me, you were allowed to defeat Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and all the rest," she responded. "While you were doing that, Aizen was busy waiting on the Hogyoku to return to its full power. And now that he has it at its full power, he's ready to use it for this purpose."

"So if you're right, what are we supposed to do?" Rukia asked.

"Well, there is a possibility…" Urahara replied thoughtfully.

The others all stare at Urahara.

"What is it? Just tell us!" Ichigo shouted.

"If we could somehow get the Spirit King to come out and fight Aizen, then we'd avoid having Karakura Town destroyed," Urahara responded.

"Well, how are we supposed to do that?" Renji questioned.

"It's rather simple, actually," Urahara stated. "We just have Head Captain Yamamoto find the Oken and use it to go to the Spirit King's dimension, then tell him to come out and fight Aizen."

Soi Fon scoffed at Urahara's suggestion. "Like that's going to work," she muttered. "Look, you're better off just evacuating this useless town and letting Aizen go at it with the Spirit King. There's no way the king of the Soul Society is going to want to come out and fight just to save some town!"

"That's what you think…" Urahara replied.

"What is it?" Soi Fon yelled. "Is there something you're hiding, Urahara? Are you really the Spirit King?"

Yoruichi covered her mouth as she began to laugh. A big smile appeared on Urahara's face.

"No, I'm not the Spirit King… not yet, at least," Urahara responded.

"Then who is?" Soi Fon shouted, getting angrier. "You know him, I can tell. You're just hiding it to tease us. Spit it out already!"

Urahara laughed again. "What are you going to do about it, Captain Soi Fon?" he asked. "Are you going to beat it out of me?"

Soi Fon immediately flashstepped to right behind Urahara's back, holding her zanpakuto up to his neck.

"You don't tell me, and I'll kill you!" she screamed.

"Relax, relax," Urahara responded. "It's not that big of a deal, really."

"Yes it is!" Soi Fon yelled. "You're willing to put all our lives at risk over some king?"

"Fine, I'll let you in on a little secret, just step away for a minute, I'm having trouble breathing," Urahara said.

Soi Fon pulled back her zanpakuto, but continued to glare angrily at Urahara, who seemed nonchalant about her actions.

"Okay, everyone, I'm going to say this one time, and you must not tell it to anyone else outside this room," Urahara stated. "It's a big secret, and it will change your perspective on Aizen, the Soul Society, and perhaps me forever."

"Go ahead and spit it out!" Soi Fon screamed. "It's that you're the Spirit King, right? I know it!"

"Not by any means," Urahara replied. "The secret is…"

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, waiting for Urahara to reveal what he was going to say.

"There is no Spirit King."

Every person in the room gasped, save for Soi Fon, who immediately slapped Urahara across the face.

"There isn't? Then what is the Oken for?"

"That's all I'm going to say on this subject, you can figure the rest out on your own."

Soi Fon slapped Urahara again, then stomped out of the room in a fury. The rest continued to stare at Urahara in wonder, save for Yoruichi, who merely laughed.

"She sure has a temper, doesn't she?"

"You can't argue that," Urahara replied, smiling.


	2. Burden of the Past

Chapter 2

Burden of the Past

Yoruichi and Soi Fon were battling each other in the Urahara training grounds, as Soi Fon requested a battle to attempt to become stronger. As it happened, Soi Fon had Yoruichi trapped against the ground, and she stood over her with her zanpakuto drawn.

"I have surpassed you," Soi Fon stated triumphantly.

Instantly, Soi Fon felt herself pushed to the ground, with Yoruichi not below her, but above her. Yoruichi held out her foot over Soi Fon's head, signaling Soi Fon's defeat.

"Not yet," Yoruichi replied. "Remember who is the best at flashstep."

Soi Fon sighed, as she found herself to be beaten.

"I don't understand," Soi Fon complained, as Yoruichi helped her up from the ground. "How can you be so good?"

"Some things can't be taught," Yoruichi answered. "You are an excellent fighter, Soi Fon, but I am on another level than you."

"And how is that possible?" Soi Fon asked. "I don't understand your power."

"Soi Fon, there are some things that I do not wish to explain to you, because they would be too confusing for you to understand," Yoruichi replied. "And there are some things… I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me?" Soi Fon asked. "I thought I was your best friend!"

"There are some secrets which just must be kept," Yoruichi responded.

Soi Fon sighed again. "Well, at least could you tell me what Urahara plans on doing about Aizen?"

Yoruichi smiled. "He's going to lure Aizen into the Spirit King's dimension by getting the Oken off Head Captain Yamamoto."

"But Urahara said there was no Spirit King!"

"He's absolutely right about that, at least for now."

"Come on, Yoruichi, you have to explain these things to me," Soi Fon begged. "How could there be a Spirit King's dimension if there is no Spirit King? That makes no sense at all."

"If you think about it closely enough, you'll figure it out. Think about some girl power."

Soi Fon sat down and fell silent for a few minutes. Then suddenly she jumped up and burst out:

"There is a Spirit Queen!"

"That's right," Yoruichi replied. "But her identity must be kept a secret."

"Who is she?" Soi Fon demanded. "Captain Unohana? Has she been hiding something from me?"

"Not at all."

"Byakuya's wife! She didn't die – she just went back to her dimension."

"No, I'm afraid she is indeed dead."

"Then that Kuchiki girl! That's why the Hogyoku was hidden inside her – because she's the Spirit Queen."

"Soi Fon, the answer is right in front of you."

Soi Fon's expression grew aghast, and her skin turned extremely pale as she realized what Yoruichi meant. She then threw herself at Yoruichi's feet, her face plunged into the ground.

"Queen Yoruichi! I am unworthy!"

Yoruichi simply grinned. "Soi Fon, such behavior is unnecessary. You are my friend."

"Queen Yoruichi, if I had known of your position, I would have never done any of the things I threatened to do to you. You deserve my utmost respect."

"Please, get up, Soi Fon," Yoruichi replied. "I've never demanded that you treat me any differently."

Soi Fon looked up at Yoruichi in fear. "Queen Yoruichi, at least allow me to be your humble servant. That's all I ask of you."

"Do you really want that, Soi Fon?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yes, I do."

"Then you will be my servant. But you must keep my identity a secret. You may not tell anyone that I am the Spirit Queen."

"But what are you going to do, fight Aizen?" Soi Fon asked. "Is that part of Urahara's plan?"

"Urahara has everything figured out, just wait and see," Yoruichi replied. "For now, we should rest."

* * *

"You want us to go back to Hueco Mundo?"

Ichigo asked the question with incredulity to Urahara, who simply smiled behind his fan.

"Why, yes, Ichigo, you and all of your gang need to go back to Hueco Mundo."

"We didn't just go there for fun, Mr. Hat and Clogs! We went there to save Orihime!"

"I'm going to need a distraction while I fight Aizen."

The group of Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, Orihime, Chad and Uryu stared at Urahara in utter shock. They could not believe what he was saying.

"You-you're going to fight Aizen? Yourself?" Rukia asked.

"And the answer to the million-yen question is yes!" Urahara exclaimed.

"Is that your final answer?" Renji questioned with annoyance.

"Listen, the only way this town can be saved is by Aizen getting a free ticket to the Spirit King's dimension, and thus he must fight the Spirit King."

"But I thought there was no Spirit King!" Uryu replied angrily.

"There isn't… yet. But I will play the part of Spirit King to Aizen, and he will fight me with the pretense that he can become the king by defeating me."

"And if you lose?" Chad asked.

"Who says I'm going to lose?" Urahara asked. "Don't you people have more confidence in me?"

All of them shook their heads "no."

"Well, just wait and see! Besides, what other choice do the people of Karakura Town have? As long as I get Aizen's mind off destroying Karakura Town, I'll have succeeded."

"And what if you don't?" Uryu asked. "What if you lose the battle, get killed, then Aizen realizes that you're not the Spirit King?"

"He'll be in the Spirit King's dimension, so he won't have any reason to destroy Karakura Town anymore," Urahara responded. "My death would not be in vain."

"You're so brave," Orihime said. "To give up your life for the people of this town…"

"Wait a minute," Rukia broke in. "You said there was no Spirit King, so how is there a Spirit King's dimension?"

"Well, that's just what we call it," Urahara explained. "Even Aizen was fooled into believing there was a Spirit King. Once he realizes there is none, he'll be surprised."

"Then what is that dimension anyway?" Uryu asked.

"Oh, that's all part of the surprise," Urahara said.

"What the heck is this guy talking about?" Uryu whispered to Ichigo.

"He's crazy, that's all," Ichigo replied.

Urahara then stood up and addressed everyone in the room.

"Everyone get a good night's sleep, because you're off to Hueco Mundo in the morning!"

* * *

That night, Ichigo and his group prepared to enter Hueco Mundo through the entrance in the Urahara training grounds.

"Are you sure this is the best idea, Mr. Hat and Clogs?" Ichigo asked Urahara.

"Of course it is!" Urahara responded. "Don't worry, I've got everything under control. Now off you guys go!"

After the group of Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, Renji, Rukia and Orihime was sent off safely to Hueco Mundo, Urahara stood back and looked serious.

"Looks like things are finally going to come to a head here."


	3. Head in the Clouds

Chapter 3

Head in the Clouds

Loly and Menoly swept the floor of the dungeon cell Orihime used to occupy. The cell was now occupied by Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, convicted of aiding the intruders in their attack on Hueco Mundo. The tiny Nel Tu sat with her Fracción, Dondochakka and Pesche, along with her pet Bawabawa.

"Aren't you going to taunt this one like you did with the princess?" Menoly asked Loly.

Loly shrugged her shoulders.

"I have no use for her."

"Why not?"

"She's no competition for me."

Menoly smiled. Loly's crush on Aizen had become well-known in Las Noches by many of the Arrancar. The only one naïve – or as Menoly claimed, stupid – enough not to realize Loly's crush was the only surviving Espada, Yammy.

"Loly, give it up. Aizen's never going to go for you."

"Hmmmph. That's what you think."

Menoly giggled. "You're hopeless, Loly."

As they continued to sweep, they heard stomping coming down the hall. They knew exactly who it was before he even popped his head in the room.

"Yes, Yammy?" the two asked in unison.

Yammy grinned at the female Arrancar. "Well, you guys actually were ready for me for once!"

"We're used to it," Loly replied. "You're the new Ulquiorra."

Yammy's facial expression turned angry. "Don't compare me with him! I'm no loyal servant to Aizen! I just do whatever he says!"

"Whatever, Yammy."

"Look, Aizen wants to see you."

Loly looked upbeat while Menoly sighed.

"Get going."

* * *

Loly and Menoly knelt before Aizen's throne, bowing low.

"Lord Aizen, we are at your service," Loly stated.

Aizen smiled mysteriously. "Loly."

"Yes, Lord Aizen?"

"There's something you've been meaning to tell me for a long time, isn't there?"

Loly gasped. How did Aizen know about her crush on him?

_I guess he knows all… I can't hide it from him anymore, _she thought.

"Lord Aizen… I… I-"

She suddenly found herself floating in the air, and she screamed. Somehow Aizen caused her to float all the way up to right in front of his face. She stared at him directly, fearing for her life, while at the same time admiring his features. Menoly looked up in fear for her best friend.

"Gin, Tosen and I have discussed that I need a successor to my throne," he explained. "After careful discussion, I have decided that you – not Menoly – shall be my successor."

Loly looked totally bewildered. _Successor? What the heck is he talking about?_

"For I know how much you love me."

Loly was in shock. She did not know what to do. She tried holding herself away from Aizen, in case his touch may instantly kill her. But Aizen reached out and put one arm around her back, then brought the other one around her head.

"Kiss me, Loly."

Suddenly Loly's thoughts went from fear to fantasy. Was Aizen really asking her to kiss him? Was this a dream? And even as she thought these things, she wondered if the very touch of his lips would be deadly. She moved in for the kiss, even as Menoly looked on in confusion. And then… they kissed, long and passionately.

"Lord Aizen! Why are you kissing her like this?" Menoly called out.

"Why? Because I have chosen her over you. You may leave now, Menoly."

Menoly gasped, even as Loly turned around to see her friend.

"I think the former 3rd Espada needs her cell taken care of. That's your job."

"But – but – what about Loly?"

"Since Loly has shown affection towards me, I have decided to return the favor. She shall be my queen."

Both Menoly and Loly gasped this time.

"Queen?" Menoly asked.

"That's right, queen. Gin and Tosen felt it was necessary for there to be a successor to my throne… in case something happens."

"But Lord Aizen – you shall never be defeated!" Loly exclaimed. "Don't talk like that."

"Relax, Queen Loly. Once your friend leaves, you will learn all the details of your new reign."

* * *

Menoly had spent the last two hours cleaning out Nel's cell, even while watching the four helpless Arrancar sitting in their sound-proof booth. She suddenly heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Loly?"

She turned around to see Loly standing clothed in a lovely white dress with a black robe around her. She wore a crown with 10 jewels shining brightly.

"You may bow now, Menoly."

Menoly looked confused. "Loly? This isn't serious, is it?"

"Bow, Menoly."

Menoly quickly bowed her head for a moment, before looking up at her friend. "Loly! What is this all about? Since when did you become royalty?"

"Since Lord Aizen made me so."

"Explain this to me! You and I were always equal! It's no fair that you're now a queen and I'm still doing this menial labor!"

"Lord Aizen chose me over you because he knew I loved him," Loly replied with a cheeky smile. "He wanted someone to rule over Hueco Mundo in his absence, and he chose me, simple as that."

"His absence? Where is he going?"

"To defeat the Spirit King. The Soul Society is about to fall into his trap and proactively open up a gate to the Spirit King's realm, and then he will kill the Spirit King and become the new king of the Soul Society."

"And then, what about you? Are you just his pawn?"

"Silly, he loves me! I'll rule with him. We're going to be king and queen forever!"

Menoly sighed. Was her friend really this naïve?

"It's not fair that you get to be queen! I deserve that position just as much as you do!"

"Come and take it from me," Loly taunted.

Menoly was about to pull out her zanpakuto, then held back.

"Loly, you're too close of a friend for me to do that to you. I won't hurt you."

"That's right. Now get back to work."

As Loly began to walk away, Menoly stared at her friend in disgust. How could she have become so arrogant?

* * *

Loly sat upon the throne normally occupied by Aizen, who stood next to her.

"Queen Loly, please take care of Las Noches for me."

"I will, Lord Aizen."

"And don't be afraid to defend yourself against anyone who may attack."

"But Lord Aizen, my Resurrección is not nearly enough strong to defeat those intruders who killed most of the Espada!"

Aizen smiled. "This ought to fix that."

He pulled out the Hogyoku, then touched it against Loly's dagger-like zanpakuto. The zanpakuto glowed as the Hogyoku touched it, before Aizen then put away the Hogyoku again.

"There you go, Queen Loly. Please, don't hesitate to kill anyone who may come against you."

Aizen bent over and kissed her gently on the lips, then suddenly disappeared. Loly smiled in elation, thinking about Aizen.

_Aizen loves me… and I'm a queen… life can't get any better, _she thought.

But only minutes later, an enemy stood before her, ready to fight her for her throne, and her face went from innocent to bloodthirsty. She had to defend the throne – not just for her own sake, but for Aizen's sake.


	4. Catch 22

Chapter 4

Catch-22

Loly looked down from her throne, ready to battle the newcomer to the room. Her confidence dropped a bit when she realized exactly how powerful her opponent was supposed to be, but she did not show it in her expression. Below her feet, standing in battle position, was none other than the only surviving Espada, Yammy.

"What do you want, Yammy?"

"That's a stupid question. I want to be where you are. It's no fair Aizen promoted you over me."

"It's because he loves me."

"Ha! You really think that? If he did, he wouldn't have left you to fight me alone. I'm about to kill you and take your throne!"

Yammy immediately jumped towards Loly and punched her with all his might. The very throne made of stone that Loly sat upon crumbled to pieces, and dust covered the room. Yammy laughed, then took a step back.

"You're through, girl!"

However, when the dust cleared, he was shocked to see Loly still standing there, unharmed. She held out her small dagger of a zanpakuto before her.

"I blocked your punch with my zanpakuto. Sorry, Yammy."

Yammy became enraged, and pulled out his own zanpakuto. "Oh, well, this will be even more fun, killing you with my zanpakuto. Suerte!"

He slashed at Loly furiously, not bothering to care how accurate his attacks were. Everything in sight was surrounded by the dust that he caused to rise up from the ground from every missed slash. Finally, he stopped slashing, figuring Loly was dead for sure.

"That should do it."

"Do what?"

The dust cleared again to reveal an unscathed Loly. Yammy's eyes grew big upon seeing her like this.

"What is this strength of yours?"

"I'm not telling. Now you've got a lot of work to do. Fix my throne!"

Loly then jumped towards Yammy and stabbed him gently. With just that small attack, she caused Yammy's chest to burst open bleeding.

"This battle's over, Yammy. Aizen's given me unbelievable power. You might as well give up."

Yammy laughed. "Are you kidding? This battle's just begun. I guess I'll just have to use my Resurrección on you!"

But before Yammy could attack Loly any further, Menoly came running into the room.

"Loly! Yammy! The intruders are back, and this time they're after Nel!"

Yammy turned away from Loly and grimaced at Menoly.

"What? You mean that Ichigo character?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you take care of him? Your friend here seems to be super-powered."

"Not me, I can't –"

"Shut up! Let me at 'em!"

* * *

Ichigo and his group had slashed open the soundproof booth holding Nel and her brothers and pet. Pesche immediately began to thank Uryu while Dondochakka hugged Renji. Bawabawa took to Chad, who seemed indifferent to his actions. Nel jumped into Ichigo's arms.

"You're safe now, Nel," Ichigo told her.

"Yay! Nel's so happy with Ichigo!" Nel cried.

But as Ichigo and Nel embraced, they noticed Yammy approaching.

"Orihime, take Nel."

Nel jumped into the waiting Orihime's arms.

"The rest of you stay back, I'm going to take him on myself."

"But Ichigo –" Rukia began.

"I don't need any help! He's all mine."

Orihime, Chad, Uryu and Renji took Nel and her pals away, while Rukia stood behind Ichigo tentatively, not knowing what to do. Yammy continued to bleed as he walked up to Ichigo.

"You come here to fight, Ichigo?"

"I've come here to protect my friends!"

"I guess that means fighting. You stand no chance against -"

Suddenly, Yammy dropped to the ground, falling face down in front of Ichigo. Behind his gigantic body stood Loly, who had stabbed him in the back.

"Let the queen take care of this business," Loly stated.

"Who are you?" Ichigo questioned.

"Why, I'm the new queen of Hueco Mundo, thanks for asking!"

"Queen?" Rukia wondered.

"Yes, Aizen has appointed me as queen while he's away."

"Away? Then he must have already gone off to fight Mr. Hat and Clogs," Ichigo replied.

"Yammy's a little too weak of an opponent for you, so I figured I'd take you on."

"You? You're no Espada. Finishing you off should be easy work!"

But as Ichigo got ready to attack Loly, Rukia came charging from behind him and dove full-force at the Arrancar queen.

"Even I can take you down!" she screamed.

Loly smiled. By simply holding out her zanpakuto with her right hand, she completely stopped Rukia's swinging attack. Then she reached out and stabbed the stunned Rukia in the chest. Rukia spit up blood, unable to even let out a cry.

"Rukia!" Ichigo screamed.

"You're next, boy."

Loly began stabbing the fallen Rukia all over her body, causing more and more wounds. Ichigo then lunged in front of Rukia's body with his zanpakuto to block from any further attacks.

"I'm your opponent! Fight me!"

"Very well, then. But even I don't know how powerful I am yet."

* * *

Late that night, Urahara, Yoruichi and Soi Fon sat alone in a room of the shop. The privacy allowed them to talk about matters that were confidential.

"So, Yoruichi tells me that you now know of her secret?"

"Yes. I am her humble servant."

Soi Fon bowed towards Yoruichi.

"Hmmm…" Urahara mused. "So, does that mean you'll dress in a golden bikini?"

Yoruichi and Soi Fon simultaneously slapped Urahara in the face.

"I am Queen Yoruichi's servant, not yours! I obey her, not you!"

"Sorry, I was just joking."

Soi Fon glared at Urahara angrily. She made sure she kept her eyes off Yoruichi's face, out of respect, but she felt no qualms about staring down Urahara.

"Anyway, I have a request for you, Soi Fon," Urahara added.

"Should I even listen to you?" Soi Fon snapped.

"My request comes from the queen herself."

Soi Fon went silent upon hearing this.

"You may continue."

"In order for me to initiate the fight with Aizen, I'm going to need you to do something for me – get the Oken off Head Captain Yamamoto."

"I told you that idea was nonsensical! Fighting Aizen for the sole sake of saving some town in the world of the living… no reason for it!"

"There is good reason for it, Soi Fon," Yoruichi broke in.

Soi Fon became willing to listen when hearing Yoruichi's voice.

"Go ahead, Queen Yoruichi."

"As Spirit Queen, I have immense powers. However, these powers can not be recognized unless I am in my queen form."

"Your queen form?"

"Once I am in my realm, I can obtain my queen form and use my true zanpakuto. My queenly power is beyond anyone's understanding, but I can only use this power when I am in my realm. That is why we must obtain the Oken."

Soi Fon looked inquisitive.

"You mean you don't have your own version of it?"

Yoruichi smiled. "The Shihouin family entrusted the only Oken to Head Captain Yamamoto in the hopes that he would keep it safe until the day in which I will need it. However, they hid the fact that I was the Spirit Queen, as they felt he may betray me if he ever found that out."

"I'm confused, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to get the Oken off Head Captain Yamamoto, no matter what it takes – even if you must fight him."

"But Queen Yoruichi, I have sworn my allegiance to Head Captain Yamamoto! I could never fight against him!"

"Soi Fon, a famous saying is that 'No one can serve two masters.' You must choose whom you serve – the Head Captain, or me."

Soi Fon sighed. "Queen Yoruichi, I apologize in advance for asking, why don't you fight him? You are much more powerful than me, you could easily defeat him."

"Don't be so sure," Urahara broke in. "Without her queenly powers, Yoruichi is not as powerful as she would like. While I am confident she could still defeat the Head Captain if she wanted to, being weakened in such a battle would open up a window of opportunity for Aizen if he were to find out that she is the Spirit Queen."

"I understand. Queen Yoruichi, I will do my best."

Soi Fon bowed low before Yoruichi.

"Thank you, Soi Fon. I wish you good luck."

_If she fails, we're in deep trouble…_ Urahara thought, keeping his concerns to himself. _This is our one chance to beat Aizen to the punch._


	5. Battle Ignition

Chapter 5

Battle Ignition

Ichigo found himself in a surprising position. He was being pushed back by Loly's tiny zanpakuto, trying to hold his ground. The situation made no sense to him. Clearly she could not hold a candle to him when it came to spiritual pressure. Yet somehow she was not just holding her own in the battle, but actually on the offensive.

"I'm going to slaughter you, Ichigo, just like I did your girlfriend!"

"Rukia's not my girlfriend!"

Loly used this brief distraction of Ichigo to get her zanpakuto to penetrate past his and slice a wound open in his chest. Ichigo then realized the battle was serious.

"I didn't think this would be necessary, but because of what you did to Rukia… Bankai!"

Ichigo revealed his Bankai, which only served to amuse Loly.

"To think I'd force my opponent to use his Bankai against me… this is pretty impressive."

Ichigo was all the more annoyed by Loly's comment.

"I don't know what Aizen's done to make your zanpakuto ultra-powerful, but it's too late now! You'll pay for hurting Rukia!"

Ichigo then went all-out against Loly, who could only barely defend herself against each powerful swing of Zangetsu. As Ichigo kept on slashing, Loly found herself more and more on the defensive, to the point that she began to wonder if Aizen had given her enough power.

"Don't you have anything more?" Ichigo taunted her. "You Arrancar always pull out something else… show me all your power!"

"What if I don't want to? I'm the queen, I choose what I want to do!"

"Fine then, but you'll be the one who dies!"

Meanwhile, Menoly watched worriedly from a distance.

_Loly has to use her Resurrección,_ she thought. _If she doesn't, she's going to get slaughtered._

However, Menoly was too scared to say anything, for fear Ichigo would come after her next. So she remained silent as the battle went on, with Ichigo gaining the upper hand on Loly.

"You're done!" Ichigo yelled. "You can't keep on defending yourself anymore… if you don't go all out, you'll die!"

Loly clenched her teeth as another swing from Zangetsu left her barely standing, with her zanpakuto barely holding back its power. Her refusal to use her Resurrección was based on pride; she felt that since Aizen had made her queen, she needed to prove to him that she was strong enough to defeat an opponent without going all out. However, this strategy was leading to her inevitable defeat. She found herself unable to decide what to do until she heard a familiar voice.

"Ichigo…"

Ichigo turned around to see Orihime standing there by herself.

"Orihime! What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, so I came to check up on you."

"You're putting yourself in danger! It's not worth it!"

Orihime then noticed Rukia lying there in a pool of blood.

"Rukia!"

She ran over to Rukia and began to heal her.

"Well, if it isn't Princess Orihime," Loly commented. "Orihime, look who's Aizen's queen now!"

Orihime refused to even look up at Loly, choosing to instead continue healing Rukia.

"Look at me when I speak to you!" Loly screamed with anger. "I'm the queen here, you obey my orders!"

But Orihime continued to ignore Loly, even while trying to block out the memories of how Loly had beaten her up.

"That's it! I've had it with you, and your boyfriend here! You shall see my true power!"

Ichigo managed a brief grin upon hearing that Loly was ready to finally go all out.

"Poison!"

Ichigo watched as Loly's arms turned into giant white centipede-like creatures. Her mask began to expand, going all the way around her head. In addition, white armor appeared all over her appendages. Her legs were surrounded by the armor, while the upper part of her body had strips of armor wrapping around it. Her black robe covered up her chest, while her crown still shined brightly above her mask.

"This is my Resurrección, Escolopendra. I didn't think you were worthy of seeing it, but it ought to make torturing Orihime all the more fun!"

"I won't let you touch her!" Ichigo screamed.

Loly swung one of her centipede arms at Orihime, which Orihime barely avoided by ducking. Ichigo swung his Zangetsu at the arm to stop it from going any further, but he ended up being pushed back by it, tumbling to the ground.

"Ichigo!" Orihime shrieked.

"It's okay, Orihime, I've got this."

"Oh, really?" Loly replied. "Well, how about stopping both arms at once!"

She swung her other arm towards Orihime, who this time tried blocking the attack with her Shun Shun Rikka. However, Loly's attack was so powerful that it crushed right through Orihime's barrier.

"Eeeek!"

Orihime dived to avoid getting hit full-on by Loly's arm, but it managed to touch her clothes, instantly turning them into a purple liquid.

"Orihime!" Ichigo cried.

Orihime still had an undergarment covering her, but it was soaked in the purple liquid. Ichigo ran over to her to help her.

"What are you doing, chickening out of fighting? Battle me!"

Loly swung both arms at Ichigo, who skillfully swung Zangetsu to block them one by one. He then noticed Orihime fall over, seemingly in some sort of pain.

"What's wrong?"

Loly laughed. "That liquid is poisonous, you know? She's going to die, slowly and painfully."

"I'll kill you!"

Ichigo swung Zangetsu at Loly, who easily blocked it with one of her arms. She kept him constantly on his toes, having to block each swing of her arms from touching either himself or Rukia's body.

"You can't block me forever!" Loly taunted. "Once I manage to touch you and that girl, you'll both be poisoned and that'll be it for you!"

"We'll see about that!" Ichigo shouted.

As Ichigo was about to swing his zanpakuto again, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"What the heck are you doing?"

"Renji?"

Renji looked annoyed. "We've been waiting on you, Ichigo," he complained. "You're apparently stinking it up in this battle."

"Orihime's poisoned, Rukia's knocked out and bleeding!" Ichigo screamed. "Get them to safety!"

Renji suddenly gave a look of shock when he saw Rukia's state. She lay in a pool of blood, unconscious.

"That's the last time I leave Rukia with you, Ichigo. You can't protect yourself, let alone defend anyone else."

"You shut up or I'll kill you after I'm through with the Arrancar!"

Loly snickered. "Well, isn't it nice to see a little conflict going on between you two. It doesn't matter what you do, I'm going to turn you into a pool of poison!"

She swung her arms again, but Ichigo managed to block them in order for Renji to pick up both Rukia and Orihime. Carrying one girl in each arm, he began to walk away.

"If you're doing this poorly, I say you should retreat," Renji commented.

"Never! I'm not letting her get away with this!" Ichigo cried.

"And I'm not letting you get away, either!" Loly shouted.

Renji flashstepped away, leaving Ichigo alone with Loly.

"Get back here, you little pineapple!" Loly screamed. "I want to watch Orihime die!"

"Why not chase him, instead of fighting me?" Ichigo asked.

Loly went silent for a moment, before swinging her arms at Ichigo again. He blocked her arms, then gave a smirk.

"So, you can't flashstep, or whatever you Arrancar do to move quickly. It's because of your lack of spiritual pressure."

"Shut up! I don't need that power! Lord Aizen gave me enough!"

Ichigo looked thoughtful. "Perhaps I could interest you in a change of battlefield."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I want to get away, I can make it away with my flashstep easily. But I don't want to let you off the hook. How about we take this battle to the world of the living?"

Loly paused, trying to think about her options. Surely Aizen did not want her to leave Hueco Mundo; that was why he put her in charge as queen. But maybe he would not mind if she was going to prove her worth to him by defeating one of his biggest foes. She could go wipe out the entire crew who was responsible for the defeat of nearly all the Espada. She could avenge their deaths, then return triumphantly as queen.

"I accept your offer."

"Follow me, then."

Ichigo flashstepped away. Before Loly could move on, she had to return to her normal form, for she could not move long distances in her Resurrección form. She transformed back to her normal self, but as she was about to take off after Ichigo, she was stopped by Menoly, who stepped out of the shadows to confront her.

"Loly, you can't leave Hueco Mundo, Lord Aizen wouldn't allow it."

"I'm the queen now! It's my choice! Lord Aizen won't mind if I come back with the heads of the people who killed his Espada!"

"Loly, you're making a huge mistake. You're in their territory now… who knows what they could pull on you."

"They can't touch me in my Resurrección form! I'll beat them easily. This should be fun."

"I don't like this… I'm coming with you."

Menoly then followed Loly as she chased after Ichigo. They followed his spiritual pressure to the place where he and the others had entered Hueco Mundo. Only Ichigo remained there, as the others had already gone back.

"Let's go!"

Loly and Menoly followed Ichigo to the world of the living. When they arrived, they found themselves in the desert wasteland of Urahara's training grounds.

"Where's Orihime?" Loly demanded.

"She's already been taken away," Ichigo replied. "It's you and me, right here, right now. Let's go!"

"Fine, then, but before I kill you I demand to see Orihime's corpse."

"Bankai!"

"Poison!"

* * *

Back in Hueco Mundo, Yammy finally woke up, after being knocked unconscious by Loly's backstabbing. He noticed that the place was deserted.

"Uh… where is everybody?"


	6. Storm Center

Chapter 6

Storm Center

As Soi Fon entered the Soul Society, lots of thoughts were racing through her head. Thoughts like, _Why can't Yoruichi just reveal herself as queen and ask for the Oken? Why must I be so secretive about her identity? Am I really going to have to fight the Head Captain for the Oken? Will I be forced out of the Soul Society for doing this? Will he kill me?_

Nevertheless, she was going through with the plan, no matter what the cost. She was under the queen's orders, after all, and to disobey them was against everything she stood for.

She stepped into her own office, the headquarters of Squad 2, where Marechiyo Omaeda was picking his nose.

"Captain! Where have you been all this time?"

"Shut up, Omaeda. I just wanted to stop by this place one more time."

"Why does it matter? You're here all the time, what's the difference?"

"Listen, Omaeda. If anything happens, you've got to hold Squad 2 together for me."

"Anything happens? What the heck are you talking about, Captain?"

"So long."

Soi Fon stomped out of the building, leaving Omaeda in confusion.

"What was that about?" he wondered as he cleaned out his ear with his finger.

* * *

Soi Fon continued on to the Squad 1 headquarters, preparing for her meeting with Head Captain Yamamoto. She had a pretty good idea of how this was going to go – not very pleasantly, she thought.

She came to the door of the Head Captain's meeting room, met by Chojiro Sasakibe, the lieutenant of Squad 1.

"Captain Soi Fon! What brings you here today?"

"I must speak to the Head Captain immediately."

"Yes, but what for?"

"It's a secret meeting between captains."

"I understand.

Sasakibe allowed Soi Fon to enter, then closed the door behind her, not having a clue what was to go on inside the room.

Meanwhile, Soi Fon approached Head Captain Yamamoto slowly. He did not speak, nor could Soi Fon even tell if he was awake. She walked all the way up to the table that he was sitting at, then addressed him.

"Head Captain Yamamoto."

"Yes."

"I have a request I must make of you."

"Go ahead."

Soi Fon gulped, then spoke loudly and clearly. "By order of the Spirit King, I request possession of the Oken!"

Yamamoto did not respond in any way, shape or form. He remained completely still, his eyes remaining nearly closed. Soi Fon was left wondering what this meant.

"I repeat, by order of the Spirit King, I request possession of the Oken!"

Yamamoto's eyes slowly opened. Soi Fon could tell anger was building up within him.

"You must not!"

Soi Fon gave Yamamoto her usual stern expression. "This is the order of the Spirit King. I must be given the Oken. There is no other option."

Yamamoto's eyes opened more as she spoke this.

"As Head Captain, I have sole rights to the Oken. The Spirit King himself – whom no one has ever seen – has given these orders."

Soi Fon tried to go back through her mind quickly through what Yoruichi had told her. She remembered that the Shihouin family had entrusted Yamamoto with the Oken. She wondered why Yoruichi could not just come and prove herself to be the Spirit Queen, but she remembered that Urahara explained that if Yoruichi was not in her queenly form, she could not prove herself as queen to him.

"Very well, Head Captain. If you will not give the Oken to me, then I must fight you for it."

Yamamoto's eyes now grew wide open. "Foolish woman. Do you know my powers?"

Soi Fon drew her zanpakuto, still in its normal sword form. "I'm ready to battle."

"So be it."

Yamamoto stood up and lifted up his staff, letting loose his captain's coat to reveal his muscular chest. Soi Fon immediately expected him to unleash its true powers, but he did not. Instead, he took the staff with both hands and swung it at Soi Fon, who blocked it with her zanpakuto.

"You are a good captain, I wish not to lose you."

"I will do whatever it takes to gain the Oken. Sting all enemies to death!"

Soi Fon flashstepped behind Yamamoto, revealing her zanpakuto's shikai. Her zanpakuto became attached to her arm, with the stinger sticking out on her finger. She immediately tried to stab Yamamoto with it, but he easily blocked it with his staff.

"You are no match for me."

Soi Fon began flashstepping all around Yamamoto, trying desperately to stab him with her blade. He blocked all incoming attacks with ease, however. At one point he swung the staff and knocked her down with it.

"I command you to give up."

As she sat there, Soi Fon thought about what Yoruichi had taught her. She remembered how Yoruichi was always at her most dangerous right after being attacked.

"I won't!"

She leaped up and tried stabbing Yamamoto in his chest, but he swung his staff and knocked her over again. But as she fell, she managed to flashstep behind Yamamoto and was just so barely able to touch him with her stinger in the back, as he slammed her to the ground again with his staff. Immediately, the Bee Crest Flower appeared on Yamamoto's back and began to grow.

"Now I will kill you with only one strike, no matter how powerful you are."

Yamamoto stared at Soi Fon with anger. "I guess I must take you seriously. All things in the universe turn to ashes!"

With this, Yamamoto released his Shikai. An extraordinary amount of spiritual pressure filled the room, with Soi Fon barely able to stand. Outside of the building, lots of random Soul Reapers were knocked over by the sheer magnitude of the spiritual pressure.

Soi Fon ducked as Yamamoto's zanpakuto became engulfed with flame. His entire body glowed from the flames let off by his zanpakuto. Then he swung it at Soi Fon, lighting up the entire room with fire. Immediately Soi Fon's captain's coat caught on fire. She quickly removed it from her body and threw it into the growing flames that completely surrounded her.

_That may be symbolic,_ she thought to herself, as she watched her captain's coat burn into ashes.

"You stand no chance against me! I will give you one last opportunity to escape. Release your attack from my body, and I will let you escape with your life."

"I will not leave without the Oken!"

Soi Fon leaped towards Yamamoto, trying desperately to stab him. However, he knocked her away with the immense power of his zanpakuto. He then launched a wall of flames toward her, which she only barely managed to escape.

The entire room was now lit on fire, the building giving off large puffs of smoke. Sasakibe chose not to enter the room but to run for help.

"You have gone too far, Soi Fon! You now must die!"

Yamamoto began furiously launching fire towards Soi Fon, who could do nothing but defend herself. She used her zanpakuto to stop the flames from hitting her directly, but that was all she could do. She soon found herself surrounded by fire in all directions, with no escape. Yamamoto closed in on her, ready to destroy her.

"You were always one of my most obedient captains, Soi Fon. Where did you go wrong?"

He took his zanpakuto and prepared to swing it towards her, ready to incinerate her. She looked up with fear and cried out.

"Queen Yoruichi, I have failed you!"

Yamamoto stopped from continuing the swing of his zanpakuto and stared at Soi Fon closely. He paused for a moment to ponder what Soi Fon had just said.

"Queen Yoruichi?"

Soi Fon cowered in fear. She realized that she had revealed Yoruichi's identity to Yamamoto.

"Queen Yoruichi… the Shihouin family was the family who entrusted me with the Oken… so she is the Spirit Queen…"

He looked ready to swing the zanpakuto at Soi Fon again, but he did not.

"You have come from orders of not a Spirit King, but a Spirit Queen."

Soi Fon nodded slowly.

"You have done poorly, Soi Fon. Your aggressive nature has failed you."

Soi Fon looked at Yamamoto in confusion, even with the flames burning around her.

"Did Queen Yoruichi ever ask you not to reveal her identity to me?"

Soi Fon thought back over the conversation she had with Yoruichi. Sure, Yoruichi had first told her not tell anyone that she was the Spirit Queen. But when she told Soi Fon to get the Oken off Yamamoto, she must do whatever it takes. Perhaps this was Yoruichi's way of testing her… while she thought only of fighting Yamamoto, maybe Yoruichi had wanted her to see if she could gain the Oken without violence.

"I'm sorry, Head Captain Yamamoto."

"If you had told me Yoruichi was the Spirit Queen, I would have believed you in the first place. Foolish woman."

He held out his zanpakuto again, and Soi Fon prepared to die.

"Perhaps I will give you a punishment at a later time. But if the Spirit Queen has ordered that you must have the Oken, I will give it to you."

Soi Fon's eyes lit up. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"I have hidden the Oken in a special location inside these headquarters. If you release your zanpakuto's power from me, I will guide you to it."

Soi Fon immediately released the Bee Crest Flower, not even thinking of any consequences of letting Yamamoto go, in case he was lying. She fully believed him.

"Very well, Soi Fon, now we will go to get the Oken."

He carefully led Soi Fon out of the burning room, as the two of them went to find the Oken. As they left, a bunch of Soul Reapers rushed into the room to extinguish the fire.

_Queen Yoruichi… perhaps you taught me a lesson… I must not always solve things with violence…_ Soi Fon thought.

But she was satisfied. As Yamamoto showed her the Oken and handed it to her, wishing her well on her journey, she realized that ultimately she had succeeded in serving Yoruichi, and that was all that mattered to her.


	7. Heat of the Battle

Chapter 7

Heat of the Battle

Soi Fon walked into the Urahara Shop, where Urahara and Yoruichi were sitting together. She bowed low, holding out the Oken in her two hands over her head.

"Thank you, Soi Fon," Yoruichi told her. "I suppose that Old Man Yamamoto handed this to you."

Soi Fon blushed, but did not look up.

"Hopefully next time you do not rush into battle," Yoruichi scolded her. "Nevertheless, you have succeeded in serving me. Come, let us go."

"Go where, Queen Yoruichi?"

"To my castle."

"But… but I thought the point of finding the Oken was so Urahara could fight Aizen."

"That's part of it, but I also must prepare myself by transforming into my queenly form."

Soi Fon keeps her head bowed until Yoruichi reaches out her hand to lift it up.

"We're all going together."

* * *

In an unknown area, somewhere in between the world of the living, the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, Aizen stood, with his lips pursed and his hand tapping his leg, marking time. The world he stood in was made up of the color white. That was it, just the color white, nothing else existed. It was somehow connected to the gates between the different worlds. Not many could reach such a world, but Aizen could, and with ease.

_It's all been part of the plan, simply wait for them to do something stupid,_ he thought. _However, never did I expect them to be this stupid._

Fear and loathing. Aizen loved those words, because everyone he affected was sent into such a state. Here he had somehow caused the great Urahara to fall into a state of fear and loathing. Why else could he sense Urahara's spiritual pressure growing and growing, in this unknown area? It meant only one thing.

_The Spirit King is coming to me,_ Aizen thought.

It was foolish thinking for anyone outside Hueco Mundo, or perhaps even in Hueco Mundo, that an enemy would go to Aizen and try to fight him one-on-one. While it was true that there rarely was ever a battle where two battlers fought one foe, surely no one would be so dumb as to go up against the mighty Aizen by themselves.

But here came Urahara, appearing in the world of white. There he was, still carrying that cane, wearing the hat and clogs. He looked like an absolute fool to Aizen.

"Kisuke Urahara," Aizen stated. "For you to come all this way amuses me greatly."

Urahara did not respond with words. Instead, he simply held out the Oken.

"You are foolish, indeed, Urahara. What do you plan on gaining by simply handing over the Oken?"

Urahara gave a stern look in response.

"You think I don't know your secret. I've known it all along, in reality."

Aizen smiled sneakily.

"You are the Spirit King."

Urahara's eyes grew wide with surprise. His expression was one of utter shock.

"Yes, I've known it all along… while you've tried to hide it from everyone, including by using impostors, you haven't been able to hide a thing from me. I know about your relationship with Yoruichi… your love for her. Did you give her a kiss goodbye?"

Urahara still did not respond.

"Very well then, it doesn't matter much now. You came here for a reason, to battle me, why else?"

"Not totally," Urahara replied, finally breaking the silence. "First I want to show you my castle."

"I'd be delighted to join you."

"Good. Now let's hurry, I haven't got all day!"

Aizen followed after Urahara towards a gate. At the gate was a lock. Urahara inserted the key into the lock, and the gate opened. The two then walked through the gate.

* * *

Ichigo and Loly traded blows as they fought each other. Their fight had been going on for over three hours now, and Ichigo had not laid a single scratch on Loly. He found himself desperately trying to come back, hopelessly behind in the battle.

As he was feeling quite angry about the situation, Renji appeared in Urahara's training grounds.

"What's the matter, Ichigo? You struggling?"

"Shut up, Renji!"

"If you want, I'll help you out."

"I don't need your help!"

Loly swung one of her arms at Ichigo, touching his coat. Part of the coat instantly turned into a purple liquid poison.

"You need my help whether you like it or not," Renji shouted. "Bankai!"

In a matter of seconds, Loly found herself battling against both Ichigo and Renji, both of whom were using their Bankai.

"What is so special about this Bankai, anyway?" Loly wonders. "You two seem to be completely helpless against me!"

Loly swung her arms around, knocking over Ichigo at one moment, then knocking over Renji the next. Each of them kept on getting up, only to keep on getting knocked over by the ferocious Arrancar.

"Don't mess with Queen Loly!"

Loly laughed with glee as she continued beating up on the two Soul Reapers. Menoly, meanwhile, watched from a distance with great concern for her friend.

_Loly is taking her opponents too lightly,_ Menoly thought. _If she continues to do so, she'll get burnt.

* * *

_

Urahara and Aizen were about to enter a castle. The castle was the most enormous, grandiose, extraordinary building either had ever seen.

"You know, this is the first time I've ever been here," Urahara comments.

"Don't try to fool me, Urahara, or should I say, _King_ Urahara. You've been here many times before, as Spirit King."

"What good would it be for me to lie to you, Lord Aizen?"

The two walked into the castle, entering a gigantic room, which glittered with gold from every pillar of the place. They walked across the extravagant red rugs, finding the room to be utterly enormous.

"This would be a perfect place for me to end your life."

"Would it?"

Meanwhile, from a balcony very high above, Soi Fon watched nervously. Yoruichi had requested that she keep watch on anyone entering the castle, but not to allow anyone to know of her existence. Soi Fon tried hiding her spiritual pressure as she watched Urahara draw his zanpakuto against Aizen's.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Aizen asked. "Because I am willing to take your throne without a fight."

"Absolutely," Urahara replied.

"Very well."

Urahara gave the first blow to Aizen, swinging full force at Aizen's sword. Aizen simply drew back his sword and allowed Urahara's sword to hit his body.

What happened next amazed Urahara.

"Nothing? My sword can't even cut you?"

"You surely are a fool, Urahara. Your spiritual pressure is absolutely useless against me."

Urahara swung again, this time towards Aizen's head. His blade stopped right against Aizen's neck, which proved to be stronger than all of Urahara's spiritual pressure combined.

"I must not be going all out."

"It doesn't matter if you go all out, or none at all. You have no chance of even harming me."

Aizen then swung his zanpakuto at Urahara, cutting his shoulder.

"I don't feel like beating you all at once. Instead, I intend on slashing you to pieces."

Urahara stepped back in concern, but Aizen slashed near Urahara's right foot, removing the sandal from his foot. He then took another swing and hit Urahara in the side, with blood squirting out like a fountain. Soi Fon gasped in horror.

"Is this truly the Spirit King? He's worthless!"

Aizen began slashing at Urahara madly, who could do nothing to stop it. Finally Urahara collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Now you die."

Aizen slashed Urahara's body wildly, while Soi Fon covered her eyes, not wanting to see the carnage. When she finally got the nerve to look, she saw a bloody corpse underneath Aizen.

_No,_ she thought. _This can't be happening._

She rushed off to the room in which Yoruichi had entered. She knocked on the door in panic.

"Queen Yoruichi! Queen Yoruichi!"

"Yes, Soi Fon?" Yoruichi called from behind the door.

"Urahara's dead… Aizen just slaughtered him!"

Soi Fon thought about how those words would affect Yoruichi, worried that she had broken the news to her in too brutal of a way. Yoruichi answered with anger in her voice.

"That fool… he was never worthy of being king."

Soi Fon looked shocked at Yoruichi's response. She could only guess that Yoruichi felt strong remorse for allowing Urahara to battle Aizen.

"Very well, Soi Fon. I am about to battle Aizen myself. For your own good, I request that you leave my presence and stay away until I let you know it is okay."

"Yes, Queen Yoruichi."

Soi Fon immediately fled the area, going back to the spot where she watched Aizen kill Urahara. She saw Aizen looking quite annoyed, and she panicked that he might see her.

"Where is the true Spirit King? Urahara was obviously a fake."

"There is no Spirit King."

Aizen recognized the voice immediately.

"Yoruichi Shihouin."

"The Spirit Queen is about to enter the room, I ask that you bow down appropriately."

Aizen laughed, then gave a mocking bow, before his eyes saw the most amazing sight of his storied life.


	8. On the Precipice of Defeat

Chapter 8

On the Precipice of Defeat

She was gorgeous, the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on. The instant he saw her, his thoughts of murder were replaced with feelings of lust. He wanted her – he had to have her.

As Queen Yoruichi stepped into Aizen's view, he could not help but looking at her from head to toe. A golden crown adorned her head, while she wore pretty earrings and a necklace. Her shoulders were bared, while the light blue dress she wore barely held back her giant breasts. She wore a red robe with white fur trimming over her arms, going all the way down to just above her high-heeled feet. Her hands were covered by white gloves, as well as a ring on her left hand. In her right hand, she held a golden scepter, with a red ruby shining near the top of it. She looked at him with a sexy smile, but said nothing.

"Queen Yoruichi," Aizen stated, "I am delighted to see you in your true form."

Queen Yoruichi did not reply, merely turning her body like a model to show off how beautiful she was. Aizen felt every instinct in his own body telling him things he had never thought before. More than anything, he wanted Queen Yoruichi – badly.

"I had come here to kill the ruler of the Soul Society, but I did not realize it was you."

"You mean to tell me that your ultimate plan has been foiled?" Queen Yoruichi replied.

Aizen stopped for a moment, realizing what precisely had happened. The power of a woman was stronger than his centuries of planning. All that crumbled now in her presence. He could not imagine killing her; what good would killing her do if he could not have her first?

"Queen Yoruichi, you know of my power. It is enough to kill you within minutes, just as I killed your friend Urahara."

"That fool? He couldn't lay a finger on me even if he tried."

"Nevertheless, you know I could kill you at any time I wish."

Queen Yoruichi simply sighed. "What is it that you want, Aizen? Have you come to fight me, or not?"

Aizen smiled with the most ambitious, evil smile he had ever given. "I want you – Queen Yoruichi. I want your body to belong to me."

Queen Yoruichi laughed. "You're just a man," she replied. "You're so weak."

She leaned in close to him, not worried at all about whether he would attack her or not. She reached out her lips, ready to kiss Aizen, when he suddenly pulled back.

"I sense your spiritual pressure rising," he stated. "You plan on casting a spell on me with your lips."

"You catch on quickly, Aizen. The fool Urahara was under my spell for years. He never realized it. You, however, are much more brilliant."

Aizen looked stern. "I do not plan on killing you, Queen Yoruichi. Instead, I plan on making you part of my harem."

"Harem?"

"When I rule the Soul Society as the new Spirit King, I shall have plenty of harems to keep me happy. You can be the first."

Queen Yoruichi laughed again. "You had your chance to kiss me, Aizen. Now you shall never get another chance."

"It is easy for you to avoid death, Queen Yoruichi. Simply surrender your crown to me and relinquish all your powers. I will then have mercy on you and allow you to survive."

"Sounds like a great deal to me. I give you everything I have, and you give up nothing."

"It is either that… or your fate is the same as Urahara's."

He pointed at the bloody mess that was Urahara's corpse. Queen Yoruichi took a look at it, then turned her focus back to Aizen.

"Aizen, it is only at my mercy that I allow you to speak to me face-to-face. Now, as Spirit Queen, I command you to drop down, flat on your face before me."

Aizen looked at Queen Yoruichi carefully. "You mean you want _me_ to obey _you_?"

"That is correct, Aizen. I will offer you one chance."

Aizen stared at Queen Yoruichi, then dropped to one knee. He suddenly pulled his zanpakuto out and slashed it toward her, but she disappeared in a flash.

"You cannot harm me one bit, Aizen. You shall never even touch me."

She appeared behind him, and he stood up and slashed at her again, but she disappeared yet again, suddenly appearing over next to Urahara's corpse.

"This fool could not compare in flashstep to me. You want to defeat me, you must first touch me."

Aizen flashstepped over to Yoruichi and swung again, but missed badly for a third time. When she appeared back where she had first entered the room, Aizen gave her a slight smile.

"So your plan is simply to escape me? Queen Yoruichi, I offer you this chance. Please, attack me with all your might."

"No one has ever seen my queenly power! You should be warned!"

"I'm not concerned. Please, attack me now."

Queen Yoruichi flashstepped over to Aizen and swung a kick to his face. Aizen merely grabbed her foot, took off the high-heeled shoe she was wearing, threw it across the room, then slammed her to the ground.

"You are just as foolish as Urahara!" he shouted with glee. "In time your body will belong to me!"

Queen Yoruichi picked herself up from the ground, flashstepped over to her high heel, then delicately placed it back on her foot. "I was foolish, I must admit. I had never tried out my queenly power on someone before. I expected it to kill you in one blow."

"Your queenly power is nothing compared to me! Simply give yourself to me!"

"I shall not, Aizen. I want your face to be placed down in front of my foot, and I will not be satisfied until that is the case. I shall now show you my zanpakuto."

She took her scepter and swung it at Aizen, who simply caught it in his right hand, then pushed it back at her.

"You have nothing on me, Queen Yoruichi. Is that little thing your zanpakuto?"

"It is. I have not yet revealed my shikai or my bankai yet."

"Please do so, I wish for you to go all out before you surrender."

"If you're lucky, you'll get to see them."

She swung her scepter at him again, and this time he felt his hand pushed back by it.

"My zanpakuto increases in power with each attack. If you let yourself be attacked enough times, it will grow more powerful than any zanpakuto in existence."

"Very well, then, Queen Yoruichi, I shall simply show you that my flashstep is just as good as yours."

Every time Queen Yoruichi tried to attack Aizen, she missed horribly, while he continued to try to attack her, but missed as well. The two played a game of cat-and-mouse until finally Aizen managed to grab her when she misaimed a flashstep.

"Now you're mine."

With his right arm around her back, he reached out his left arm toward her breasts, fully ready to touch them. With that she shrieked and pushed herself away with all her might. She managed to barely slip away, but not before Aizen kicked her on the way to the ground.

"Foolish woman, you shall not resist me much longer."

Meanwhile, Soi Fon heard Queen Yoruichi's shriek and came running through the halls. She finally made it to the balcony, in an absolute fury, ready to defend her queen.

"Queen Yoruichi!" she cried.

"Soi Fon, no!" Queen Yoruichi shouted back.

Soi Fon took one look at Queen Yoruichi, and suddenly she felt her eyes begin to close. Her eyes shut completely on her, and she could not open them. She then began to stumble around in her blindness.

"I warned Soi Fon not to come close to me, because when I reveal all my spiritual pressure, the very sight of me can cause those without enough spiritual pressure to lose their eyesight. You, Aizen, have more than enough spiritual pressure to avoid that fate."

"And I am so glad I am able to see you," Aizen replied.

Soi Fon dropped to the ground, hearing of her fate, and wanted to cry, but she could not even do that. She buried her face in her hands and moaned in agony.

"Shall we finish this battle?" Aizen asked.

"I am too concerned about Soi Fon. Please let me take care of her."

"Nonsense!"

Aizen slashed his zanpakuto at Queen Yoruichi, who was stunned by Soi Fon's fate, and he cut off her left hand. She then looked at the bloodied stub that was her left arm and he stabbed her in the stomach. She fell over, bleeding profusely through her dress and her robe. He then held out his zanpakuto over her head, ready to kill her.

"It's over, Queen Yoruichi. Surrender yourself to me, or die."

Queen Yoruichi looked up at Aizen in a hopeless fashion. She knew she had to use either her shikai or her bankai at this point, but she did not know if she even had enough spiritual pressure to use either.

"I will not allow you to touch my body, Aizen. I'd rather die than have my body belong to you."

"Very well, then, Queen Yoruichi."

The next word out of Aizen's mouth came like a dagger to the heart. Of all the words in any language, it was the one word Queen Yoruichi and Soi Fon did not want to hear. In fact, an entire world was destroyed at the very instant Aizen uttered this word.

"Bankai."


	9. Never Meant to Belong

Chapter 9

Never Meant to Belong

Queen Yoruichi stared up at Aizen, whose spiritual pressure was at an all-time high. His appearance had not changed at all since he released his Bankai, but she knew not to underestimate him.

"It is time for you to die," Aizen told her. "Just like your Urahara."

Queen Yoruichi smiled. "You do realize Kisuke's still alive?"

Aizen looked inquisitively at Queen Yoruichi. "Is that so?"

"He finally perfected the portable gigai. You destroyed it, but not him."

Aizen simply grinned. "Fine, then. He's not the king anyway."

He prepared to stab Queen Yoruichi, who still held her scepter in her one remaining hand.

"Just tell me, Aizen, what is your bankai?"

Aizen laughed. "My bankai has now given me all the spiritual pressure of the entire Hueco Mundo," he replied. "It has been destroyed, with everyone inside it. Now I own the spiritual pressure of everything that was inside it."

"So, you felt the need to destroy your own world just to kill me?"

"You're still quite powerful, Queen Yoruichi. I do not underestimate you, but I will not need Hueco Mundo anymore, for I shall rule from your castle."

Queen Yoruichi held her scepter tightly. She knew that now was the time to release her shikai, but it had to be done perfectly. As Aizen swung his zanpakuto at her, she blocked it perfectly with her scepter.

"Nice move, but it shall not last long."

But as Aizen's zanpakuto continued to slam against her scepter, he noticed that her scepter began to turn into an actual sword.

"Is this your shikai?"

"As a matter of fact, it is."

Aizen pulled back his zanpakuto as her scepter completely changed into a sword. "Why did you hold back until now?"

"That I can't tell you yet."

Aizen looked angry. "I won't give you a chance to explain. You shall die!"

He summoned as much spiritual pressure at one time as he could, then swung it at Queen Yoruichi's bleeding stomach.

"It's over, Queen Yoruichi!"

* * *

Loly had defeated Ichigo and Renji with her long arms. They had fought long and hard, but now both were lying on the ground with no energy left. She simply smiled as she turned back into her normal form.

"Enough with these fools, time to go back to Hueco Mundo," she commented.

"Lord Aizen wants you!" a voice called.

Loly looked off into the distance to see an approaching Urahara.

"What are you talking about?"

"He definitely wants to see you."

"Really?"

"I will take you to him."

Loly rushed over to Urahara, not even thinking about the consequences. She figured she could fight him if necessary, but the prospect of Aizen wanting her was too much for her to resist.

"Oh, we need one other person to come with us," Urahara told her.

Loly gasped as she saw Orihime begin walking toward her and Urahara.

"Not her!"

"Yes, she's very important."

Orihime walked over to them and stood by Urahara's side. Loly reached over and slapped her across the cheek.

"Now, now, you may need Orihime's help later. Let's go."

* * *

Aizen stared at Queen Yoruichi, who was smiling deviously. She held her zanpakuto out against his, blocking it from hurting her. Meanwhile, as he tried to pull his zanpakuto back, he found that it was completely attached to hers.

"Perfect timing," she commented.

"What do you mean?"

"My shikai allows my zanpakuto to suck in all the spiritual energy of my opponent's. If I had used it earlier, when you were not using all of yours, you may have outlasted me and defeated me. But now I have all of your spiritual pressure… including every bit you just gained from your bankai."

"That's impossible."

"There's a reason why I wear the crown."

Aizen tried frantically pulling his zanpakuto back. After about a minute of pulling it, he finally was able to get it back into his possession, but as he looked down at his zanpakuto, he then noticed that he possessed no spiritual pressure.

"I don't believe it."

He then turned to look at Queen Yoruichi, and instants after his eyes caught a glimpse of her face, they closed for good.

"You no longer possess your immense spiritual pressure, so you too have gone blind from looking upon my face. Aizen, you're through."

Aizen began to stumble towards Yoruichi, swinging madly at her. She simply shoved him away with her left arm, which was still bleeding badly from where her hand was missing.

"I can't believe this," he mumbled.

A few minutes later, Urahara appeared in the castle with Orihime and Loly. Urahara held his hands over both Orihime and Loly's eyes.

"My queen," he said with a bow.

"You fool," she replied.

"Quick, Orihime, begin to heal Queen Yoruichi – but don't look at her face."

"No," the still-bleeding Queen Yoruichi replied. "Take her upstairs and go heal Soi Fon – she went blind."

"But Queen Yoruichi – "

"That is a demand from the queen!"

"Yes, Queen Yoruichi."

Queen Yoruichi looked over at Loly, who was staring at the defeated Aizen, who had fallen to the ground in defeat.

"Please bow down before me, for your sake."

Loly refused, and looked right at Queen Yoruichi. Before she could say anything, however, her eyesight too was gone.

"What's happening to me?"

"I'm sorry, but I told you to bow down. From seeing my face, you went blind."

"Who are you, anyway?"

"I am the Spirit Queen, Yoruichi Shihouin."

"What have you done with Lord Aizen?"

"Aizen came here to take my throne, so I defeated him."

"I don't believe that!"

"In fact, Aizen's plan was to kill you, but you escaped Hueco Mundo in time."

"That's not true!"

"It is," Aizen spoke up. "I had planned to destroy you, but I never expected you to escape."

"So – I was never a queen to you?"

"That's right."

Loly dropped to the ground. She wanted to cry, but she could not.

"Now, Aizen, you will pay for all that you have done," Queen Yoruichi stated.

The blind Aizen could not do anything about his imminent death. He just found enough strength to say his final words: "Queen Yoruichi, you are beautiful."

Then Queen Yoruichi brought down her zanpakuto on his head, and all the spiritual pressure of Hueco Mundo crushed him. He disintegrated as Queen Yoruichi swept her zanpakuto across his body.

"Loly, I have a place for you in my kingdom. Your Lord Aizen did not."

"No fair – I wanted to be queen!"

Queen Yoruichi's zanpakuto turned back into a scepter, and she sat down on the ground, still bleeding badly. Yet she did not offer even a cry of pain until Urahara returned to her with Orihime and Soi Fon, both of whom bowed their heads as to not see her face.

"Soi Fon, I apologize."

"Queen Yoruichi, all this proved is that I am not even worthy to see your face! Please heal the queen, girl!"

Orihime went to work on healing Queen Yoruichi's wounds. Eventually her stomach was healed up, and her hand returned to her left arm.

"Thank you, Orihime. Now please heal Loly."

"No! I'd rather be blind than be touched by that monster!" Loly yelled.

Against her own will, Loly's eyesight was returned to her by Orihime.

* * *

A week later, Ichigo and all of his friends, along with all the captains and lieutenants of the thirteen Court Guard Squads, and even Loly and Menoly were all present for Urahara and Yoruichi's wedding at her castle. In her normal form, able to be seen by everyone, Yoruichi walked down the aisle to meet her husband and become married.

After the wedding part of the ceremony was over, she took her throne, overlooking all of her guests. Her servant, Soi Fon, stepped to the front of everyone with an announcement.

"All hail Queen Yoruichi! Bow down! On your faces!"

The entire room, including Soi Fon and Urahara, bowed down on their faces before Yoruichi, the one who had brought peace to the world of the living as well as the Soul Society.

The queen simply smiled.


End file.
